Gun stock having memorial cylinder housed therein and method of memorializing

ABSTRACT

Provided herein are a gun stock having a memento cylinder for receipt of a reminder of a deceased person or pet and a method of memorializing a deceased person or pet within a gun stock. The reminder may be the cremated remains of the deceased loved one or may be an article belonging to the deceased. The memento cylinder includes an end cap, which may include a glass viewing port through which the contents may be seen. The gun stock also includes a mechanism for limiting movement of the memento cylinder within the gun stock. The cylinder may be engraved with the name or initials, birth and death dates or years, a likeness of the deceased, or other information about, or messages honoring, the deceased. The gun stock permits a hunter to memorialize the deceased by hunting with, or displaying, a gun outfitted with the memento cylinder.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to memento containers andparticularly to a container for mementos that is configured to fitwithin a gun stock. In a first instance, the memento may be the crematedremains of a loved one. In another instance, the memento may be anobject or article belonging to the loved one (e.g., a lock of hair,fabric from a favorite garment, etc.). A method of memorializing adeceased loved one through the use of such a memento container is alsoprovided. Alternately, the memento cylinder may house an object or itembelonging to the gun owner, such as a hunting license, in which case thecylinder may function as a multi-purpose storage container.

BACKGROUND

Hunting is an avocation enjoyed by millions and often shared betweenfamily members. For example, fathers and their children may use huntingexpeditions as an occasion to spend time together. Whether it be theearly morning rising, the hours spent together during the hunt, thecleaning of the game, or more mundane tasks such as cleaning a gun orshopping for hunting gear, the activities associated with hunting resultin a strong bond between hunting partners. In some instances, thehunting partner is a beloved hunting dog or horse.

Understandably, after sharing countless hours engaged in this pursuit, ahunter may be devastated by the death of his hunting companion. In manycases, the hunting companion (human or animal) may be laid to rest in aburial plot, where family members may later visit to pay their respects.In other instances, the hunting companion may be cremated, in which casethe family members may opt to preserve the ashes in a cremation urn or acremation memorial.

Many cremation memorials have been designed to honor the deceased,including urns such as those shown in, for example, U.S. Design Pat.Nos. D356,422 and D360,732. The urns may be displayed in the home of afamily member or friend as a reminder of the deceased. In many cases,the urns may made of brass, bronze, or some other material that may beengraved with the name or other information (such as birth date anddeath date) of the loved one.

Other cremation memorials have been designed for functional purposes forthe keeper of the memorial. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,373describes a flower vase whose base functions as a container for thecremated remains of a loved one. U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,957 describes apiece of jewelry, such as a pendant, that is configured to hold a smallcontainer of ashes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,897 preserves the crematedremains in a cremation chamber that forms the base of a cylindricalplanter box.

Yet other cremation containers have been designed to reflect theinterests of the deceased. For example, U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D356,421and D370,767 provide urns in the form of lawn ornaments that includeimages of dolphins and waves. U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D370,766 andD370,768 provide cremation storage in the form of lawn ornaments thatinclude images of deer and trees. U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,416 discloses acremation remains housed within an artificial underwater reef system,possibly for a scuba enthusiast or the environmentally consciousdecedent. U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,299 provides a cremation storagecontainer, which is formed within an engine block or engine cylinder,for the automotive enthusiast. Finally, U.S. Design Pat. No. D524,510provides a baseball bat urn, in which the knob of the bat is unscrewedand the remains poured into a cavity inside the bat.

Further, when the deceased has chosen to be buried rather than cremated,the surviving family members may also wish for a container to house akeepsake as a reminder of the deceased. The keepsake may be a lock ofhair, fabric from a favorite article of clothing, or the like.Ordinarily, such items may be preserved in a trunk, a hope chest, orperhaps a shadow box. However, none of these locations provides the avidsportsman with a way to continue feeling connected with the deceased,particularly during hunting experiences that previously had been shared.

Thus, while many of the aforementioned resting places are creative andmay provide an appropriate tribute for the deceased, none provides thetype of loving testament that a devoted hunter desires for his faithfulcompanion, be that companion another person or a pet, such as a dog orhorse.

SUMMARY

Provided herein are a gun stock having a memento cylinder therein forreceipt of a reminder of a deceased person or pet and a method ofmemorializing a deceased person or pet within a gun stock. In oneinstance, the reminder, or memento, may be the cremated remains of thedeceased loved one. In another instance, the memento may be an articleor item belonging to the deceased. The memento cylinder includes an endcap, which may include a glass viewing port through which the contentsmay be seen. The gun stock also includes a mechanism for limitingmovement of the memento cylinder within the gun stock. The cylinder maybe engraved with the name or initials, birth and death dates or years, alikeness of the deceased, or other information about, or messageshonoring, the deceased.

The present gun stock permits a hunter to cherish the memories of thedeceased and to honor those memories by continuing to include thedeceased in future hunting activities by carrying the reminder, ormemento, of the deceased within the gun itself. Alternately, the huntermay choose simply to display the gun as a tribute (for example, byhanging the gun over a fireplace mantle or on a wall).

The method of memorializing includes the steps of providing a gun stockhaving a bolt cavity therethrough; providing a memento cylinder forhousing a reminder of a loved one, the memento cylinder being sized tofit within the bolt cavity and being outfitted with an end cap, andfurther providing a mechanism for limiting the movement of the mementocylinder within the bolt cavity; transferring the memento of the lovedone into the memento cylinder and sealing the cylinder; and insertingthe memento cylinder into the bolt cavity and covering the bolt cavitywith a butt plate. The memento may be the cremated remains of thedeceased or an object or article belonging to the deceased. The methodmay further include engraving the cylinder with information about theloved one and securing the gun stock to a receiver.

Alternately, the cylinder may be used to house an object or item ofimportance to the hunter, such as a hunting license, in which case thecylinder functions as a multi-purpose storage container that is readilytransported within a gun stock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a gun, which shows the gun stock incross-section;

FIG. 2 is cross-sectional view of the side of a gun stock, which shows amemento cylinder installed therein;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the memento cylinder of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an isometric, exploded view from the rear of a gun,particularly showing a butt plate and the memento cylinder of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a generic shotgun or rifle assembly 10 having a gunstock 12 and a receiver 20. The receiver 20 includes a barrel 25, atrigger 27, and the like associated therewith. The gun stock assembly 30has an elongate body, or gun stock, 12 through which a bolt cavity 14 isdrilled, the gun stock assembly 30 further including a butt plate 16 anda nut 26. The gun stock 12 is attached to the receiver 20 by a bolt 22that extends from the receiver 20 and over which the gun stock 12 ispositioned. A nut 26, which secures the gun stock 12 to the receiver 20,may be accessed (e.g., for tightening or loosening) through the boltcavity 14. The bolt cavity 14 is covered by a butt plate 16 that forms afinished end of the gun 10.

FIG. 2 shows a gun stock assembly 130 in which the present mementocylinder, or canister, 150 is inserted. As described briefly above, aforward end 113 of the gun stock 112 may be secured to the receiver 120by sliding the gun stock 112 onto a bolt 124 extending from the receiver120 and then tightening the nut 126 on the bolt 124. The bolt 122 issized to fit within a bolt shaft 124 that is an extension of the boltcavity 114, but which has a smaller diameter than the bolt cavity 114.

The memento cylinder 150, as will be discussed further herein, may befilled with the ashes of the deceased, or with an object or articlebelonging to the deceased. Alternately, the cylinder 150 may house anobject of importance or interest to the hunter (for example, a huntinglicense), in which case the cylinder 150 acts as a storage device thatis transportable within the gun stock 112.

After the cylinder 150 has been filled, the cylinder 150 may be insertedinto the bolt cavity 114 through the rearward end 121 of the gun stock112. Once the memento cylinder 150 is positioned, the butt plate 116 maybe bolted or screwed to an exposed end 123 of a rearward end 121 of thegun stock 112, thus covering the bolt cavity 114 and the exposed end 123of the gun stock 112. Typically, the butt plate 116 is made of, orincludes, rubber or another polymeric material for shock absorptionand/or metal or another durable material.

The memento cylinder, or canister, 150 is shown in greater detail inFIG. 3. The memento cylinder 150 is a canister having an open endconfigured for receipt of an end cap 152. The memento cylinder 150 maybe made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to,plastic, aluminum, glass, gold, brass, bronze, stainless steel, or gunquality metal (e.g., blued steel). Where concerns exist over the weightof the gun 110, the cylinder 150 may be made of plastic or aluminum. Ininstances where the hunter prefers to be able to see the contents (170,as in FIG. 4) of the cylinder 150, the cylinder 150 may be made of atransparent, or at least translucent, material, such as glass.

The memento cylinder 150 may be sized to fit the bolt cavity of aparticular gun. For most common gun stocks, the bolt cavities may housememento cylinders 150 having a length from about 3 inches to about 5inches and a diameter of from about ¼ inch to about 1¼ inch; however,the memento cylinder 150 is not limited to these exemplary dimensionsand may be modified according to particular gun stocks.

The memento cylinder 150 includes an end cap 152. According to oneaspect, the end cap 152 may include a compressible O-ring (not shown)therein and may be wrench-tightenable to form an air-tight seal.Alternately, instead of a screw cap, the end cap 152 may be a snap-oncap, a plug-type cap, a cap having compressible ribbed fins, or anyother suitable type of cap that forms a tight seal. In those instanceswhen the memento cylinder 150 is comprised of a metal, the end cap 152may be permanently attached to the memento cylinder 150, for example, bywelding. Alternately, for any type of cylinder, the end cap 152 may bepermanently secured using an adhesive compatible with the material ofthe cylinder.

When a screw-type cap is used (as illustrated), the initialhand-tightening of the end cap 152 may be facilitated by providing thememento cylinder 150 with a machined knurled section 158 that providesan area for gripping the memento cylinder 150, while the cap 162 isbeing applied. The knurled section 158 may be located on an endopposite, or distal to, the end cap 152; however, the location of theknurled section 158 may vary. In addition, more than one knurled section158 may be provided. Further, the knurled section 158 may extend over amajority of the surface of the memento cylinder 150, perhaps leavingonly a small smooth area for inscription (as will be described below).

If desired, the end cap 152 may be fitted with a glass viewing port 153(as shown in FIG. 4). The glass viewing port, or sight glass, 153permits the contents 170 of the memento cylinder 150 to be viewedwithout having to remove the memento cylinder 150 from the bolt cavity114 or without having to remove the end cap 152. It is furthercontemplated that, regardless of the material used to produce thememento cylinder 150, the butt plate 116 may be made of a transparentmaterial, so that the memento cylinder 150 may be visible.

Between the end cap 152 and the optional knurled section 158 is an area156 suitable for inscription. The inscription area 156 may include thename or initials of the deceased, the deceased's birth and death datesor years, and/or a message to or about the deceased (e.g., “BelovedFather,” “Faithful Companion,” or “Rest in Peace”). The inscription area156 may also, or instead, include an artist's rendering of a likeness ofthe deceased loved one, particularly if the loved one is a pet.

Also provided as part of the present disclosure are means for limitingthe movement of the memento cylinder 150 within the bolt cavity 114.Such means prevent the memento cylinder 150 from rattling within thecavity 114 while the gun is being used, thus reducing the likelihood ofthe game being startled and of the hunter being distracted. Thesemovement-limiting means may be part of the memento cylinder 150 or maybe separate from the memento cylinder 150 or may include one componentthat is part of the memento cylinder 150 and another component that isseparate from the memento cylinder 150. FIG. 3 illustrates two suchmovement-limiting means—an O-ring 154 and a compressible spring162—which are part of the memento cylinder 150 and which may be usedindividually or in conjunction with each other or in conjunction withother movement-limiting means, such as soft wadding within cavity 114about memento cylinder 150 (not shown).

The O-ring, or compressible gasket, 154 fits around the memento cylinder150 to prevent side-to-side movement within the bolt cavity 114. Thememento cylinder 150 may further include a groove (not shown) that isadapted to hold such an O-ring 154. If desired, more than one O-ring 154may be used in spaced relation along the length of the memento cylinder150.

The compressible spring 162 has a spring constant and may be sized toengage a tapered end 160 of the memento cylinder 150. The other end ofthe spring 162 engages the nut 126 used to secure the gun stock 112 tothe receiver (as shown in FIG. 2). Pressured by the spring constant,this dual engagement presses the memento cylinder 150 against the buttplate 116 (also as shown in FIG. 2), preventing the memento cylinder 150from up-and-down movement within the bolt cavity 114.

Other mechanisms for limiting the movement of the memento cylinder 150within the bolt cavity 114 may include packing material or othermechanical means, such as interlocking clips or magnets. For example,packing material (such as cotton) may be wrapped around the mementocylinder 150 or may be pushed into the bolt cavity 114 after the mementocylinder 150 has been inserted. Another approach may be to use a magnetthat is fitted onto the tapered end 160 of the memento cylinder 150,such that the magnet engages the nut 126 within the bolt cavity 114.Alternately, or additionally, the butt plate 116 may be fitted with amagnet, and the end cap 152 or perimeter of the end cap 152 may befitted with a complementary magnet or may be made of a metal that iscapable of being attracted by a magnet. Various other methods, as may becontemplated by those of skill in the art, may also or instead be usedfor this purpose.

The method of memorializing a deceased loved one may include (a)providing a gun stock having a bolt cavity therethrough; (b) providing asealable cylinder, or canister, having dimensions to fit within the boltcavity, the sealable cylinder having an end cap, and further providing amechanism for limiting the movement of the cylinder within the boltcavity; (c) transferring a memento of the deceased loved one into thecylinder and sealing the cylinder; and (d) inserting the cylinder intothe bolt cavity and covering the bolt cavity with a butt plate. Themethod may further include engraving the cylinder, or canister, withinformation relating to the loved one and connecting the gun stock to acorresponding receiver. Additionally, the method may include huntingwith, or displaying, the assembled gun containing the memento cylinder.

This method may be better understood with reference to FIG. 4, whichshows the butt end of a gun 110. The rearward end 121 of the gun stock112 includes a bolt cavity 114 into which the memento cylinder, orcanister, 150 may be inserted. Once the memento cylinder 150 isinserted, a butt plate 116 may be used to cover the exposed end 123 ofthe gun stock 112 (including the bolt cavity 114) and to secure thememento cylinder 150. Screws 118, 118′ may be inserted through the buttplate 116 and into corresponding apertures 128, 128′ in the gun stock112 that are adapted for receipt of the screws 118, 118′.

Thus installed, the cremated remains of a loved one, or the keepsake ofthe loved one, may be preserved and cherished indefinitely. Moreimportantly, the hunter whose gun has been outfitted with the presentmemento cylinder has the satisfaction and warmth of continuing to sharehunting experiences with his loved one or of preserving his loved one ina manner reflective of the loved one's interests. Such a tributelovingly commemorates the passage of a hunting companion, whether thatcompanion is another person or a pet, such as a dog or a horse.

1. A gun stock assembly for memorializing a deceased loved one, the gunstock assembly comprising a gun stock having a forward end, a rearwardend, and an aperture therethrough, the aperture defining a bolt shaft atthe forward end and a bolt cavity at the rearward end, the forward endof the gun stock being attachable to a receiver; a memento cylinder forhousing a memento of the deceased loved one, the memento cylinder havingdimensions to fit within the bolt cavity and being housed within thebolt cavity, the cylinder comprising an end cap for sealing the mementocylinder; means for limiting the movement of the memento cylinder withinthe bolt cavity; and a butt plate attached to the rearward end of thegun stock to cover the bolt cavity.
 2. The gun stock of claim 1, whereinthe memento comprises the cremated remains of the loved one.
 3. The gunstock of claim 1, wherein the memento comprises an object belonging tothe loved one.
 4. The gun stock of claim 1, wherein the memento cylinderis comprised of a material selected from the group consisting ofplastic, aluminum, glass, gold, brass, bronze, stainless steel, andblued steel.
 5. The gun stock of claim 1, wherein the memento cylinderis transparent.
 6. The gun stock of claim 1, wherein the mementocylinder has a length of from about 3 inches to about 5 inches and adiameter of from about ¾ inch to about 1¼ inch.
 7. The gun stock ofclaim 1, wherein the memento cylinder includes an area for inscriptionwith at least one of the name of the deceased, the initials of thedeceased, the birth date and death date of the deceased, the birth yearand death year of the deceased, a message about the deceased, a messageto the deceased, and a likeness of the deceased.
 8. The gun stock ofclaim 1, wherein the memento cylinder comprises a knurled sectiondisposed apart from the end cap.
 9. The gun stock of claim 1, whereinthe memento cylinder further comprises a tapered end.
 10. The gun stockof claim 1, wherein the end cap of the memento cylinder includes a glassviewing port.
 11. The gun stock of claim 1, wherein the butt plate istransparent.
 12. The gun stock of claim 1, wherein the movement-limitingmeans comprises an O-ring positioned around the memento cylinder. 13.The gun stock of claim 12, wherein the memento cylinder includes agroove for receipt of the O-ring positioned therearound.
 14. The gunstock of claim 1, wherein the movement-limiting means comprises acompression spring.
 15. The gun stock of claim 14, wherein the mementocylinder comprises a tapered end, the tapered end being fitted with afirst end of the compression spring.
 16. The gun stock of claim 15,wherein the movement-limiting means further comprises an O-ringpositioned around the memento cylinder.
 17. A gun stock assembly formemorializing a deceased loved one, the gun stock assembly comprising agun stock having a forward end, a rearward end, and an aperturetherethrough, the aperture defining a bolt shaft at the forward end anda bolt cavity at the rearward end, the forward end of the gun stockbeing attachable to a receiver; a memento cylinder for housing a mementoof the deceased loved one, the memento cylinder having dimensions to fitwithin the bolt cavity and being housed within the bolt cavity, thecylinder comprising an end cap for sealing the memento cylinder, the endcap including a glass viewing port; means for limiting the movement ofthe memento cylinder within the bolt cavity; and a butt plate attachedto the rearward end of the gun stock to cover the bolt cavity.
 18. A gunstock assembly comprising: a gun stock having a forward end, a rearwardend, and an aperture therethrough, the aperture defining a bolt shaft atthe forward end and a bolt cavity at the rearward end, the forward endof the gun stock being attachable to a receiver; a cylinder for housingan object, the cylinder having dimensions to fit within the bolt cavityand being housed within the bolt cavity, the cylinder comprising an endcap for sealing the cylinder, the end cap including a glass viewingport; means for limiting the movement of the cylinder within the boltcavity; and a butt plate attached to the rearward end of the gun stockto cover the bolt cavity.
 19. A method of memorializing a deceased lovedone, the method comprising: providing a gun stock having a forward end,a rearward end, and an aperture drilled therethrough from the forwardend to the rearward end, the aperture defining a bolt shaft at theforward end and a bolt cavity at the rearward end, the forward end ofthe gun stock being attachable to a receiver; providing a mementocylinder having dimensions to fit within the bolt cavity, the mementocylinder comprising an end cap for sealing the memento cylinder, andfurther providing a means for limiting the movement of the mementocylinder within the bolt cavity; transferring a memento of a deceasedloved one into the memento cylinder and sealing the memento cylinder;and inserting the memento cylinder into the bolt cavity and attaching abutt plate to the rearward end of the gun stock.
 20. The method of claim19, wherein the step of providing a means for limiting the movement ofthe memento cylinder comprises providing an O-ring around the mementocylinder to limit the side-to-side movement of the memento cylinder. 21.The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of providing thememento cylinder with a tapered end opposite the end cap.
 22. The methodof claim 21, wherein the step of providing a means for limiting themovement of the memento cylinder comprises providing a compressiblespring around the tapered end of the memento cylinder to push thememento cylinder against the butt plate.
 23. The method of claim 22,wherein the step of providing a means for limiting the movement of thememento cylinder further comprises providing an O-ring around thememento cylinder to limit the side-to-side movement of the mementocylinder.
 24. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step ofengraving the memento cylinder with at least one of the name of thedeceased, the initials of the deceased, the birth date and death date ofthe deceased, the birth year and death year of the deceased, a messageabout the deceased, a message to the deceased, and a likeness of thedeceased.
 25. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step ofsecuring the gun stock to a receiver to form a gun assembly beforeinserting the memento cylinder into the bolt cavity.